Organic Compounds Detected in Deciduous Teeth: A Replication Study from Children with Autism in Two Samples

Abstract

Biological samples are an important part of investigating toxic exposures and disease outcomes. However, blood, urine, saliva, or hair can only reflect relatively recent exposures. Alternatively, deciduous teeth have served as a biomarker of early developmental exposure to heavy metals, but little has been done to assess organic toxic exposures such as pesticides, plastics, or medications. The purpose of our study was to determine if organic chemicals previously detected in a sample of typically developing children could be detected in teeth from a sample of children with autism. Eighty-three deciduous teeth from children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) were chosen from our tooth repository. Organic compounds were assessed using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and gas chromatography methods. Consistent with a prior report from Camann et al., (2013), we have demonstrated that specific semivolatile organic chemicals relevant to autism etiology can be detected in deciduous teeth. This report provides evidence that teeth can be useful biomarkers of early life exposure for use in epidemiologic case-control studies seeking to identify differential unbiased exposures during development between those with and without specific disorders such as autism.

Dynamical features in fetal and postnatal zinc-copper metabolic cycles predict the emergence of autism spectrum disorder

“…We undertook additional replication analysis by including ASD-diagnosed individuals ( n = 10) at an autism clinic in New York, USA and their unaffected siblings ( n = 8) ( 26 ). Finally, we enrolled a random sample of 25 cases and 25 controls from a community-based study in Texas, USA—the Autism Tooth Fairy Project—that collects teeth and supporting data from parents through a community network ( 27 ).…”

Physiological mediators of prenatal environmental influences in autism spectrum disorder

“…[ 92 ] Biomarkers for measuring human biological processes are only starting to be developed in many cases. One such promising biomarker that is emerging is the analysis of deciduous (baby) teeth which allow the measurement of specific levels of in utero exposures to organic compounds [ 93 ] as well as nutritional and toxic metals. [ 32 ] Second, different exposures may be more active at different vulnerable periods in development, so timing of exposure is an important factor which may be difficult to measure.…”

Manganês Na Dentição Decídua De Escolares E Diferentes Aspectos De Exposição Ambiental E Hábitos De Vida

“…A partir disso, Kumagai e colaboradores (2012) afirmaram que a composição da hidroxiapatita nas trocas de dentes é um processo de longo prazo, significando que os metais incluídos em sua estrutura são liberados apenas em pequena escala. Dessa forma, dentes decíduos têm se oferecido como amostra tecidual promissora para caracterizar exposição pré e pós-natal precoce a metais, incluindo o Mn (PALMER et al, 2015).…”